Karin Enström, the Swedish defence minister, said: 'We are an active partner with Nato and we want to deepen our partnership with Nato.' Photograph: Valda Kalnina/EPA

Finland and Sweden plan to work more closely with Nato by signing a pact that allows assistance from alliance troops in the Nordic countries in emergency situations, officials said on Wednesday.

The move comes as Nato prepares for a summit next week in Wales amid heightened tensions with Russia over the crisis in Ukraine. Finland shares a 1,300km (800-mile) border with Russia.

The Finnish government said the host nation support agreement applies to situations which include "disasters, disruptions and threats to security". It also enables joint training exercises and military cooperation.

Finnish defence ministry senior adviser Mika Varvikko said Finland intended to sign the agreement at next week's summit. Sweden is also expected to do so.

Both countries, which already train and work closely with Nato in international operations, insisted the agreement did not mean they were moving closer to joining the alliance.

"There is a very sharp difference between being a member and not being a member," the Swedish defence minister, Karin Enström, told the Associated Press. "We are an active partner with Nato and we want to deepen our partnership with Nato."

Opinion polls in Finland and Sweden show majority opposition to Nato membership. Both countries were officially neutral during the cold war.

On Tuesday the Guardian reported that Nato is to deploy its forces at new bases in countries bordering Russia, a move certain to trigger a strong reaction from Moscow.